Champion race mare and Cox Plate favourite Atlantic Jewel has incurred another tendon injury and it would appear her career is over. The five-year-old, a winner of 10 of 11 starts and who was the raging hot favourite for Saturday’s $3 million weight for age race, re-injured her tendon on Tuesday morning.
Jockey Michael Rodd described the development as “heartbreaking”.
“After she worked this morning and cooled down, things didn’t seem right,” he told Fairfax Media. “We called the vet and the scans revealed that she had hurt her tendon again.
“She’s a wonderful race mare – she came back after 18 months in a paddock and took the spring by storm.”
Trainer Mark Kavanagh, who showed his training genius by bringing her back to top-line racing, was unavailable for comment.
Her scratching means a complete overhaul of markets for the Cox Plate as Atlantic Jewel had been favourite since markets opened 10 months.
Earlier on Tuesday, Atlantic Jewel had drawn a perfect alley in stall seven for Saturday’s $3.5 million race, while her main market rivals, It’s A Dundeel and Fiorente will have to come from wide on the track after initially drawing barriers 13 and 15 respectively.
Emergency Shamus Award is set to take Atlantic Jewel’s place in the 14-horse field.
– with Scott Spits
